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Northiam Bonfire 24/10/2015

I think most people enjoy the odd flashing and banging of fireworks this time of year and it was with pleasure that H&R Raynet Group accepted a request from organisers to help provide communications at Northiam Bonfire.

Although the forecast was for rain, the evening started off dry and surprisingly mild. But on this occasion the forecast proved correct and, just as the fireworks were about to be lit, the rain made an appearance. This made for a decidedly wet hour or so. This didn’t dampen peoples spirits and as far as we could see everybody had a good time.

Raynet Control was set up in the church hall in the village centre and road blocks, with Marshals, Security staff and Raynet members, were set up at all three roads entering the village. With Raynet members at the front and rear of the procession and at the fire site to the south of the village all communication eventualities were covered.

From our point of view, communications went well. Fortunately other than a request for an Ambulance right at the end of the evening, for a suspected broken ankle, all communications were pretty much routine. Messages being passed through control to and from the organisers.

There were a couple of issues with the staffing of the road blocks towards the latter end of the evening which thankfully were not from our side, but these were rectified, with our help, proving the importance of professional radio operators at events like these.